training joe public in chainsaw use?

[David oakman]

I did a talk on safe use of a chainsaw to the local small holders association. It was to men and woman who as you say had chainsaws and used them for firewood only, none of them had ppe but the people that live near me now all have helmets and trousers. None of them had heard of kickback and wanted to buy a helmet i also printed a chart i have with the places you get caught with the chain and if you have this chart you will see mostly on the legs. No one at the talk sharpened the chain forcing the chain as it was not sharp. I think if you do this a talk is what you want to do not a course. Anyone useing a chainsaw should know the dangers and at least how to sharpen.

[firewoodman]

to be honest dave, if they cant use the saw safely and wear the right gear, then i aint gonna teach them how to sharpen it

[dangerous brian]

Good point .

[Alinicoll]

Blunt saw is more dangerous than a sharp one.

[David oakman]

Yes that is the point, think of all the joe publics cutting with blunt saws and no ppe they just need a freindly arbman to give a talk and they would keep safe. All they need to know is about the saw and ppe. I will tell you a funny story a man in the village came to see me with his chainsaw and said hey mr woodman can you sharpen my saw he used it all the time and had never sharpened it i said this chain looks a bit dry he said what do you mean i said there is no oil on it, he had never put oil in it since brand new:stupid:

[firewoodman]

Blunt saw is more dangerous than a sharp one.

 

i agree, but there will come a time when they stop using it.

 

if no ppe then does it matter??????????

[Alinicoll]

I`ve seen people using chains in shocking states, no oil, no edge to speak of. They just loosen it a bit and carry on. There is no doubt that garden chainsaw users need more educating and doing awareness type talks like David mensioned is a good thing. There is however a fine line between professional advise about saws and necessity of PPE, and doing training. Thats a minefield.

[firewoodman]

I`ve seen people using chains in shocking states, no oil, no edge to speak of. They just loosen it a bit and carry on. There is no doubt that garden chainsaw users need more educating and doing awareness type talks like David mensioned is a good thing. There is however a fine line between professional advise about saws and necessity of PPE, and doing training. Thats a minefield.

 

yep.

thats why i see a money making opertunity.

 

its just the libility thing that i see as a mine field.

[tommer9]

I do stress the importance as much as ican, of wearing PPE and of some sort of saw maintainence. We are not going to stop these people, but if we can make it a bit safer for them so much the better. We cannot insist that they get the relevant quals/ gear, but are well within our rights, and possibly have a moral? duty to give some sort of guidance.

 

I would never be so formal as to offer training for the reasons that have been mentioned. If you do want to go down that route, get qualified as an instructor just to do the basic 2 day Lantra course if you can. That basic chainsaw course costs only about £180 ish i think and would be perfect for the mculloch crew, giving them the minimum legal training to use a saw.

 

At the end of the day though, if you point out the dangers they are exposing themselves to then you can do no more, and the responsibility is theirs then, and your conscience clear.

[bob]

giving advice is totally different for charging for the service